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Expeditors International of Washington Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 24 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly EPS fell 11%: Diluted EPS was $1.49 against $1.68, and net earnings attributable to shareholders fell 15% to $201 million. Operating income fell 17% to $251 million on revenue down 3% to $2.9 billion. Source
  • Asian and European income lower: North Asia operating income was $42.0 million against $68.5 million, South Asia $29.0 million against $33.7 million, and Europe $26.7 million against $31.1 million. Source
  • Air tonnage up, per-kilo profit down: Airfreight revenue rose to $1.11 billion from $1.06 billion. Tonnage rose on export volumes from North and South Asia, while per-kilo profitability declined and gross margins fell modestly. Source
  • Ocean revenue fell sharply: Ocean revenue fell to $611.4 million from $908.4 million. Lower volumes added pressure as capacity increased, and revenue per container fell further than in the prior quarter. Source
  • Customs and Transcon revenue grew: Customs brokerage and other services revenue rose to $1.14 billion from $983.2 million. Each other product in the category grew double digits, led by Transcon and warehousing. Source
  • Ocean rates seen soft in 2026: Management said ocean rates may remain soft in 2026 as capacity grows, without giving a figure for rates or revenue. Source
  • Shareholders received $875 million: Returns to shareholders totaled $150 million in the fourth quarter and $875 million for 2025, through dividends and share repurchases. Source

“While we knew comparisons to 2024 were going to be tough given the current ocean environment, I am quite pleased with the increased business we are taking on, including customs, Transcon, warehousing & distribution, and order management.”

Daniel R. Wall, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Share repurchases SourceNew program, effective when the current program expires (outstanding shares reach 130 million)$3 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The Board authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $3 billion, to take effect when the current program expires. Source

Quarter and full-year results

  • Quarterly EPS fell 11%: Diluted EPS was $1.49 against $1.68, and net earnings attributable to shareholders fell 15% to $201 million. Operating income fell 17% to $251 million on revenue down 3% to $2.9 billion. Source
  • Full-year EPS rose 4%: For 2025, diluted EPS was $5.95 against $5.72, revenues rose 4% to $11.07 billion, and operating income rose 1% to $1.05 billion. Source
  • Full-year net earnings were flat: For the year, net earnings attributable to shareholders were $810.3 million against $810.1 million in 2024. Source

Segments and regions

  • US revenue up, US income down: US revenue rose to $923.2 million from $866.6 million, while US operating income fell to $128.4 million from $137.9 million. Source
  • North Asia and South Asia revenue lower: North Asia revenue was $684.4 million against $837.6 million, and South Asia revenue was $425.0 million against $430.2 million. Source
  • Asian and European income lower: North Asia operating income was $42.0 million against $68.5 million, South Asia $29.0 million against $33.7 million, and Europe $26.7 million against $31.1 million. Source
  • Middle East and Africa revenue lower: Middle East, Africa and India revenue was $168.6 million against $201.6 million. Other North America rose to $123.2 million from $97.4 million, and Latin America to $65.0 million from $63.2 million. Source

“This shows that our strategy to diversify the breadth of our portfolio is making a difference.”

Daniel R. Wall, President and Chief Executive Officer

Air, ocean and customs products

  • Air tonnage up, per-kilo profit down: Airfreight revenue rose to $1.11 billion from $1.06 billion. Tonnage rose on export volumes from North and South Asia, while per-kilo profitability declined and gross margins fell modestly. Source
  • Air buy rates rose on demand: Management said a surge in e-commerce and tech demand in the quarter pushed air buy rates higher, adding further pressure on margins. Source
  • Ocean revenue fell sharply: Ocean revenue fell to $611.4 million from $908.4 million. Lower volumes added pressure as capacity increased, and revenue per container fell further than in the prior quarter. Source
  • Order management offset ocean decline: Higher order management volumes from customers wanting more control of their supply chains partly offset the ocean decline, as did demand for freight forwarding and ancillary ocean services. Source
  • Customs and Transcon revenue grew: Customs brokerage and other services revenue rose to $1.14 billion from $983.2 million. Each other product in the category grew double digits, led by Transcon and warehousing. Source
  • Customs productivity gains starting: Management said it is beginning to realize benefits from technology investments that cut the time needed to file customs entries. Source

Ocean rate and capacity view

  • Ocean rates seen soft in 2026: Management said ocean rates may remain soft in 2026 as capacity grows, without giving a figure for rates or revenue. Source
  • Ocean sell rates fell from late 2024: Ocean sell rates began declining in late 2024 and fell more sharply through the second half of 2025, particularly out of North and South Asia. Source
  • Air capacity eased in third quarter: In the prior quarter, air capacity eased after the de minimis exception expired, and sell and buy rates were slightly lower.

“While we are not providing future guidance, we have seen air margins recover much of this two percent decline in 2026 through the date of this release.”

David A. Hackett, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Costs and headcount

  • Expenses rose on headcount additions: Management said expenses were higher than it would like, mainly from headcount added for customs brokerage and from technology investment. Salaries and other operating expenses rose 6% in Q4 and 10% for the year. Source
  • Headcount rose across regions: Full-time equivalents reached 20,359, up from 18,917, with North America at 7,507 against 6,999 and Europe at 4,217 against 3,882. Source
  • Transport costs fell, other costs held: Directly related transportation costs fell 4% in Q4. Excluding those costs, operating expenses rose less than one percent from the third quarter of 2025. Source

Demand and volumes

  • Air kilos rose, ocean FEU fell monthly: Air kilos rose 4% in October, 5% in November and 8% in December. Ocean FEU fell 8%, 7% and 4% over the same months. Source
  • Technology customers' AI spending benefited volumes: In the prior quarter, management said technology customers' AI infrastructure investment was benefiting the business, and the fourth quarter release says that benefit continued.

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Shareholders received $875 million: Returns to shareholders totaled $150 million in the fourth quarter and $875 million for 2025, through dividends and share repurchases. Source
  • Buybacks averaged $118 for the year: The company repurchased 0.3 million shares in the quarter at an average $149.47, and 5.6 million for the year at $118.01. Dividends were $1.54 per share in 2025. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose sharply: Net cash from operating activities was $283.3 million in the quarter against $249.7 million, and $1.01 billion for the year against $723.4 million. Source
  • Cash rose, share count fell: Cash and equivalents rose to $1.31 billion from $1.15 billion, and shares outstanding fell to 133.9 million from 138.0 million. Source
  • Capital spending rose for the year: Purchases of property and equipment were $53.1 million for the year against $40.5 million, and $13.0 million in the fourth quarter. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Breadth of portfolio is the aim: Management said it is growing in every region, product and customer segment to balance revenue across the portfolio. Source
  • 2026 focus on pricing and costs: For 2026, management named growth diversification, pricing optimization and further alignment of the cost structure with current market conditions as its focus areas. Source
  • AI and vertical investments planned: Management plans strategic investments in high-return areas, including artificial intelligence and customer vertical solutions, which it sees as the most growth potential. Source

Coming up, as management said on 24 February 2026

  • Ocean capacity to rise further: Management said capacity is likely to increase further as vessels return to transit through the Suez Canal. Source
  • Ocean operating costs to keep adjusting: Management said it will continue adjusting ocean operating costs to better match current market conditions. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Airfreight tonnage, year-over-year, fourth quarter Source6%
Ocean container volume (FEU), year-over-year, fourth quarter Source-6%
Average revenue per container, year-over-year Source-41%
Average revenue per container, versus third quarter 2025 Source-17%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Air margins are exposed to swings in buy rates when e-commerce and tech demand rises quickly. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: In the prior quarter management said it was focused on aligning costs with a lower growth environment; the fourth quarter release says cost adjustments continue.
  • Not stated: In the prior quarter management said it would keep investing in productivity tools for customs; the fourth quarter release says benefits are beginning to appear.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.